


SecondTale

by Scironex



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-01
Updated: 2016-09-28
Packaged: 2018-06-05 18:57:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6717109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scironex/pseuds/Scironex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Undertale is a game about second chances. Let's give one to the character who needs it most.</p><p>SecondTale follows Frisk and Chara as they try to undo a terrible mistake of the past.</p><p>Named "SecondTale" as a portmanteau of "Second Chance" and "Undertale," if that were not evident.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prelude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preludes are the part of the work which serves to introduce the remainder.

One strike. All it took was one strike. Frisk continued down the golden hall, plowing straight through the pile of dust the skeleton had left. They walked into a room with a leafy floor and chirping birds. This king of monsters was the last thing that stood in their way. One strike. The flower saved them the work of crushing the SOUL. It didn’t save itself, though. Nothing now stood in their way.

“Greetings.”

Frisk had never seen a human face. Most blind people haven’t. The fallen child, however, had seen themselves many times - More than enough times to project themselves at Frisk.

“I am Chara.” The child’s presence was chilling. Rather, it would have been, if Frisk had chosen another path. This was not that Frisk. This Frisk was not scared of the child who had lent their help several dozen times over. They were almost excited, almost in the same way they were to fight Sans.

“Your power awakened me from death. My ‘human soul.’ My ‘determination.’ They were not mine, but _yours_. At first, I was so confused. Our plan had failed, hadn’t it? Why was I brought back to life?” The child’s musings were like ice. Any sane human would have been on edge. “You. With your guidance, I realized the purpose of my reincarnation. Power. Together, we eradicated the enemy and became strong. HP. ATK. DEF. GOLD. EXP. LV. Every time a number increases, that feeling… That’s me. ‘Chara’. Now. Now, we have reached the absolute. There is nothing left for us here. Let us erase this pointless world, and move on to the next.”

“No.” Against the odds, emotion stirred in the red human. “That’s not why I’m here.”

Chara’s smile twitched. “No…?”

“How curious. You must have misunderstood.” Their face shifted. “ _Since when were you the one in control?”_

One strike. One strike, and the red human fell.

They weren’t ready to give up, though. They returned, and they stared into the void until it stared back.

“Interesting.”

The child’s voice ripped through the darkness in a painful echo.

“You want to go back.”

Frisk didn’t feel betrayed.

“You want to go back to the world you destroyed.”

“That was not what I wanted.”

“And yet you were the one who pushed everything to its edge. You led the world to its destruction.”

“I only wanted to return to the surface.”

Someone else might have sworn they heard a laugh. Frisk heard an offer.

“Perhaps… We can reach a compromise. You still have something I want.”

Frisk felt their heart jump in their chest.

“Give it to me. You will give me your SOUL. And I will bring this world back.”

Frisk hadn’t felt fear since the first time they fell into the mountain.

“What are you?”

This time, Frisk didn’t hear an offer.

_“I am the demon who comes when you call my name.”_

“Then I suppose that would make me an angel.” A third voice broke through the darkness.

Frisk could feel a jolt of panic that wasn’t their own. “Who are _you_?” Chara spat.

“I just told you.” Their next words were directed at Frisk.

“So.”

“This was your doing.” This third voice was smiling. “Was it worth it?”

Frisk did not respond. The ‘angel’ did not wait for them.

“This child is not incorrect. You are the reason you are standing here.

“Yet, it is not my place to make judgement. I have another offer. This is the fate you chose for yourself. If you promise me that you will try to find a way to change it, then I will set it all back at no cost.

“The choice is yours.”

_“Don’t you dare!”_

Frisk had torn through over a hundred monsters. Their will had bested even the cold grip of death. This demon - this naive child - would not stand in their way.

Frisk dared.


	2. Leitmotif

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A leitmotif is a recurring melody centering around a certain person, idea, or situation.

Frisk woke up on a bed of flowers. They felt much the same as they had the first time. Terror coursed through their veins, without any LV to filter it out. Like last time, though, Frisk held it back and stood up. This was their second chance? They had to return to the surface; If they did not- They crushed the thought. Nothing could stand in their way. It was Frisk’s power - Frisk’s LV - that had awoken Chara. This time, they would not gain that power.  
There was a slight breeze coming from behind them. Frisk followed it down to the room where they met Flowey. The first time, Frisk had been too panicked to do anything but stand, confused. This time, they were wiser. They moved out of the way of his bullets. The flower was puzzled for a few seconds, but quickly cottoned on.  
“You know what’s going on here, don’t you? You just wanted to see me suffer.”   
“Of course we did, you obnoxious git.” Frisk felt the same voice that had torn through their head in New Home. It was furious, and not just at Flowey.

Toriel appeared exactly when she was supposed to. The same flame struck the same flower. Frisk walked into the Ruins.

“This isn’t right,” Frisk thought. “Shouldn’t Flowey remember what I did?”

“Oh, that’s rich. NOW you concede that it was your doing.”

“I killed the monsters, yes. I needed to get to the surface, and they were in my way. You were the one who wanted to erase everything.” In someone else’s mouth, those words might have been peppered with scorn. Frisk was not someone else.

They stopped and took a deep breath, inhaling determination like the smell of spring flowers. Chara remembered an old garden. All Frisk smelled was dust - Rot and mildew infecting the wreck of a familiar place. Frisk, LV 1.

In the next room, Toriel explained nature of the Ruins. It was littered with relics of the monsters’ bygone fears. Puzzles and traps littered the Ruins in a vain attempt to thwart any invading humans. Frisk followed the old woman into the next room.

“What are you going to do about her this time?” A lever clicked into place. A mother expressed praise.

“I’ll strike her down.” The words felt cold in Frisk’s head. Why had a simple turn of the clock made them so much more vulnerable?

“Do you mean to say that you will simply repeat your past path?” Chara was sneering.

Frisk walked up to the dummy, but didn’t spare it any conversation. Toriel commended their talent at running away.

“No. I don’t need that power.” Their hatred might have been lost in the reset. Their skill had not. And they couldn’t let Chara gain their LV.

A Froggit approached them. Frisk ignored it and walked on.

“So you are just going to flee from everyone? Are you just going to try to budge past her? I guess you never tried asking politely, so maybe that will work.” Chara gave the same laugh they had given to a child 19 LV higher.

“If she stands in my way, I will strike her down. Nobody will stand in my path.”

Frisk wasn’t even sure if the spikes receding into the floor were real. They yielded before any feet came near to touching them, and returned only once they were much clear. If the humans truly did wish to finish off the monsters, these would hardly hold them back.

“Well, I’ll be sure to watch. I don’t want to miss it when you die.”

Chara’s remark didn’t receive much more attention than the monsters Frisk fled from. Neither did the familiar puzzles. They soon came across Napstablook.

“What are you going to do now? You cannot just run away! You are going to have to fight!”

Frisk didn’t respond. They frowned at the familiar fight, but then patiently smiled.

“Did you hear about the seismologist who lived near the ocean? I heard their work is really making waves.”

The ghost chuckled at that, and showed Frisk something of their own - They called it “Dapper Blook.” The human threw him a compliment, which the ghost was not expecting. He let them pass.

“You didn’t even know what it looked like!” Chara screamed.

“I thought it looked like a top hat.”

They were confused. “Are you not blind?”

“I am. The hat was made out of magic.”

“But you’d still need functioning eyes to see it?!” Chara was convinced that Frisk was being difficult

“Why would I need to use my eyes to see magic? Isn’t it an extension of the soul?”

“Yes, but you are not able to just see souls!”

“You… aren’t?”

“Of course not, you idiot! I- You-!” Chara huffed at the other child. Frisk was the confused one now.

“How did you think I was dodging the bullets?” Chara was dumbfounded. They found themselves outside of Toriel’s house. She fussed over the unharmed human, led them to their room, then attended to her soon burnt pie. Frisk steeled themselves for the coming trial. The house did smell like flowers - though it smelled more like pie - but that didn’t stop Frisk from smelling mold. Frisk, LV 1.

“So you can see magic and souls. That is a very unusual trait.” Chara’s intrigue had abated their fury. “How long have you been able to do this?”

“Always. I thought everyone could.” Not that it had been much help. Walls and floors didn’t emit soul power, and being surrounded by colorful hearts didn’t really help Frisk with navigation. Nor did it help them find the bed, which they promptly tripped into. Frisk let their exhaustion lure them to sleep. Minutes later, they woke up with a pie on the floor.

“This is it, then, Frisk.” Chara’s voice had turned quiet. They walked into the room with the fireplace. Toriel again had to go do something. Frisk followed. “I am not stupid enough to believe you can’t do it, but why do you need to go to the surface? There are just a bunch of terrible humans up there.” Chara would have been looking away, had they had a body. Frisk prepared an answer, but didn’t get to say it.

“Oh, wait. You’re one of those terrible humans yourself. Ha ha ha.” A moment of distress was quickly covered up. A ninth child was set to become a mother’s seventh and last failure.

Frisk’s determination wavered as they walked down the chilling hallway to the end of the Ruins. Last time, they possessed a powerful contempt of Toriel. She was in their way. One strike. Now? Frisk couldn’t help but notice the empty picture frame. The disarray of shoes. The wardrobe full of clothes that couldn’t possibly fit someone of her size. Frisk knew they could kill a monster in their way. They weren’t sure they could kill a mother.

The child reached the end of a tunnel. Toriel didn’t beg one more human for the redemption she so desperately needed. Chara went utterly silent. A flower quietly thought “Kill or be killed” to itself. The stage was set for the first tragic mistake.

Frisk didn’t feel fear. Not the way they had when they fell into the mountain. They still hesitated. Toriel did not. Every nerve in her body was screaming at her to not hurt this poor child any more. Every nerve in Frisk’s was screaming at them to give up. Every nerve except one.

“Do not flee,” Chara’s voice rang into their ear. “You are determined to return to the surface. Do not back down now.”

If Frisk had a nerve to spare, they might have dodged sooner. They might have also noticed that Chara no longer showed any hesitation.

“Can you show mercy without fighting or running away…? You must, if you wish to accomplish your goal.” Powerful courage, like fire, coursed through Frisk: The searing, unrelenting courage that eschews passion and discards self-preservation. Chara’s courage.

Frisk held their ground. Their body’s tension vanished just in time to avoid another volley of fire. They wouldn’t fight. Neither would Toriel stand in their way.

“You don’t have to do this!” The first time a human child told that to her, she had cried. This time, she spat words that burned as hot as her magic.

“Fight me or run away.”

“I will not!”

“Stop it. Stop looking at me that way.” Frisk noticed Toriel miss a beat. “Go away!”

Chara’s voice sounded out. “She’s scared, Frisk. More scared than you’ve ever been.”

“We do not have to fight!” Frisk shouted. Toriel faltered. Her very magic protested against her will. She couldn’t let another one die. But she could no longer bear to try and scare them. She sent a barrage of magical fireballs that couldn’t possibly have hit the child. That was the last bit of magic she could muster.

A lesser woman - or perhaps a greater one - would have broken down crying. Toriel simply made a plea that she might have one last chance to undo all her mistakes.

“I know you want to go back home… But please go upstairs now. I promise I will take good care of you here.”

“You’ve won, Frisk.” Chara thought they hid their relief from the other child.

“Why are you making this so difficult?”

“I have to, Toriel. I’m sorry.”

“Ha… ha… Pathetic, is it not? I cannot save even a single child.”

Frisk didn’t know what to say.

“No, I understand. You would just be unhappy trapped down here. The Ruins are very small once you get used to them. It would not be right for you to grow up in a place like this.

“My expectations... My loneliness... My fear… For you, my child, I will put them aside. If you truly wish to leave the Ruins, I will not stop you. However, when you leave… Please do not come back. I hope you understand.”

A large pair of arms wrapped around Frisk, swirling the scent of cinnamon and butterscotch around them. To one child, it was the smell of home. To another, it was the smell of loss. Both were reminded of their strength.

“Goodbye, my child.”

Toriel left the child, and silently prayed that they might save themselves where she had failed.

Frisk and Chara travelled down the path that awaited them. Neither of them were in the mood to humor the Flowey they met at the end.

“So you were able to save the life of a single per- Where are you going?”

“Forward,” replied Frisk.

“I wasn’t finished yet! COME BACK HERE!” As a flower, Flowey was rooted to the ground. Thus, they weren’t quite fast enough to chase the human down, much to their chagrin.

Their voice, however, stuck in Chara’s mind. Or, rather, the part of Frisk’s mind that Chara had commandeered. It sounded familiar in a way that they couldn’t quite place and would continue to haunt them for far longer than the chilly hallway.

Frisk put their hand up to the door in front of them. It was frozen to the touch. There would be no turning back from here. The door slid open, almost too easily. They stepped through into… snow? While they were prodding the ground with their foot, a loud grinding could be heard from behind. The door had shut.


	3. Pastoral

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A pastoral is a song based around country living.

“We’re being followed,” Frisk told Chara.

“By whom?” Frisk’s head twitched as Chara tried to turn around. They’d hardly taken ten steps into the snowy woods before Frisk’s heart began to race. The frozen trees grew unnaturally close together, filling the dark cave with even darker shadows. Frisk lived in darkness, though, so that was hardly an excuse.

“I don’t know,” Frisk replied, “But they snapped that branch back there.”

“Well, keep going. There’s a town with an inn ahead. Unless you would prefer to freeze to death?” Chara’s sardonicism was quickly coming back.

Frisk’s sweater kept the cold mostly at bay, but their shorts hardly held back the wind’s bite. The path was mercifully free of deep snow, sparing their ankles.

“There they are again!” Frisk was terrified, but they didn’t quite break stride.

Chara didn’t have the patience for Frisk’s antics. “Frisk, it’s that comedian. The one who you single-handedly bested.”

“Oh.” Frisk remembered this encounter now. They turned around to face him, and braced themselves.

“Uh.” Sans’ hand was stuck in a half-raised position. “You turned around before I said to…” He brushed it off and proffered his handshake fully. “Whatever. You’re a human, right? I’m Sans. Sans the skeleton. I’m, uh. I’m… Kid, are you alright? You look ready to kill someone.”

“Why is he playing dumb?” Chara was just as on edge as Frisk was.

“I don’t think he’s faking it.” Frisk relaxed and put their hand in his.

“Anyway, my brother will be here any minute. I don’t care much about it, but he’s a human-hunting fanatic. Hmm. I have an idea. Go through this gate thingy.” Sans gestured behind Frisk. As they turned around, he said, “Yeah, go right through. My bro made the bars too wide to stop anyone.”

As Frisk walked down the path, Sans said, “That’s, uh. Your cue to laugh. Or, uh, to emote at all?” The skeleton shook his head and muttered to himself. “Anyway, get behind that conveniently-shaped lamp. Or, uh, don’t, I guess?” It was too late - Frisk noticed that Papyrus was already coming.

“Sans! Have you found a human yet?!”

“Yeah,” Sans said, glancing at the child in front of them.

“Really? Wowie! I guess that’s settled!” Papyrus quickly walked back the way he came, muttering something about recalibrating his puzzles.

“...I guess that worked itself out. You’d better get going. If he comes back, you’ll have to sit through some of my hilarious jokes.”

Frisk continued the same way Papyrus had come, albeit at a much slower clip. An outside observer wouldn’t have been able to tell, but Sans continued to stare after them for quite a while.

“What was that kid’s deal?” Sans was good at reading faces and bodies, but this child’s reaction just didn’t make sense. “Do they know something I don’t?” That was chilling. After the first dozen times, Sans had been able to remember that flower’s shenanigans. “If this human can reset without me knowing… well, that makes my blood run cold.” The skeleton paused, then his grin got bigger. “Then again, maybe they’re just a little psychic. That’s probably it; We have a small medium at large. Hehehe.” The skeleton decided to cut himself off there and take a shortcut down the path.

Frisk, meanwhile, took the long way, which gave them plenty of time to speak with Chara. Or, rather, vice versa. “At least you will not have to worry about him interrupting your conquest. Maybe if you are lucky, you can even get the drop on him!”

“I don’t know blue magic.”

There was a pause as Chara processed what Frisk said.

“That was not what I-  _ Is that a pun?” _ Frisk didn’t answer.

The living child took a deep breath. In the frozen countryside, not much was alive. This unnerved Frisk for reasons they probably couldn’t explain. Frisk, LV 1.

They swiftly moved on. Up ahead, the two skeleton brothers were standing in the path. 

“As I was saying about Undyne…”Papyrus turned and noticed Frisk.

“What  _ are _ you going to do about Undyne?” Chara asked. “She’s not the type to give mercy, regardless of what you do.” Papyrus and Sans were having some sort of exchange.

“I’ll-” Frisk paused, remembering their interaction with Toriel. “I don’t know. I’ll find a way.”

“I’m sure you will.”Chara’s voice echoed with sarcasm. Their voice softened when they said, “You never did tell me why you have to make it to the surface. Snowdin’s not that bad; The inn is cheap, and there are some simple ways you can make easy-”

“I don’t care. I  _ do _ have to make it to the surface, no matter what.”

Chara sighed and settled back. So much for being helpful.

The two skeletons had walked off. Frisk proceeded onwards, until they saw a sentry station. It was probably a good idea to just squeeze behind it. Frisk heard sniffing noises as they walked to the crossroads.

Sans eyed them warily as they walked past. The kid had just skipped an encounter with Doggo. He’d been on the lookout for people who knew more than they should ever since… Still, the kid didn’t seem interested in causing anybody any harm, despite the look on their face from earlier. Sans would keep an eye socket on them, just in case. He walked off to meet up with Papyrus ahead.

“Greetings, brother! How long until the human shows up?”

“Should be passing through right about… now.”

Indeed, Frisk walked into the clearing right on time… which isn’t for a short while into the future.

“Sans! This is serious!”

“Sorry, bro. But hey, at least I get to ‘chill’ with you for a while.”

Papyrus glared at the pun, “Really, though! That human!” Papyrus said, a short while into the future, and, incidentally, right as Frisk walked in.

“Oh-ho! The human arrives!” Papyrus immediately launched into a monologue about the gauntlet he and his brother had prepared to stop them. Frisk didn’t care for it, and decided to walk forward.

Papyrus sighed down at the child. “Why couldn’t we get a human that likes puzzles?” He continued down the path. Sans quickly caught up with him. “You recalibrated your trap, didn’t you? I hope you’re not planning on cowering out.”

“Huh? Oh yeah, mine’s up next. Don’t worry, the human will definitely be caught by this one.” The last time Sans was this preoccupied was when he had to try to minimize the damage brought on by a misanthropic flower. Papyrus didn’t know that, but he knew his brother well enough to ask, “Are you alright, Sans? You seem distracted.”

“Aren’t I always, bro?”

Papyrus walked in front of him and stopped. “You’re lazy, and have terrible taste in humor, but you’re never  _ distracted. _ You missed a perfect opportunity to make a pun about having a spine, and that’s not like you.”

“You’re right. Glad you… got my back,” Sans said, with a mischievous wink.

Papyrus sighed for the second time at someone shorter than them. “Just be careful, Sans. We don’t know how dangerous this human could be, and I don’t want you to get hurt.” The shorter brother acknowledged the taller, and the duo continued onwards.

Frisk met them at a bend in the road. Papyrus was quick to introduce them to the puzzle… that wasn’t there?

“Sans, where’s the puzzle?”

“It’s right there,” he said, nodding towards the child.

Frisk didn’t understand this last time, and their second time through wasn’t much different. While the skeletons were talking, Chara chimed in.

“Have you considered actually listening to what they are talking about? You could figure out what the puzzle is.” 

“Do I have a reason to?” They didn’t have anything to say to that.

Frisk continued down the path towards Snowdin, wind biting at their calves.

Snowdin was just as chilly as Chara remembered it. They wondered if the Snowbills still grew. Of course, it’d have to be the right time of year, so light could shine in through… Chara started to spout exposition.

“There’s a crevasse in the ceiling, which is where the snow comes from. That snow melts next to the lava veins near Hotland, which is where the water in Waterfall comes from. And during certain seasons, at certain times, the angle of the sun is just right to-”

Their monologue was cut short by Frisk tripping over some spikes.

“That was graceful.”

“They weren’t here last time.”

“Oh, of course not.” Chara was smirking, in a sense.

As they were standing up, Frisk was intercepted by two dark, hooded figures. They looked down at them for a brief moment until their snouts pushed out of the shadows obscuring their face. The dogs circled around the human, sniffing all the while.

“What’s that smell?”

“Where’s that smell?”

“Are you the smell?”

“This smell is suspicious!”

Frisk felt a fluffy snout running over their head and down their neck.

“Are you a puppy?”

They soon also felt a much smoother snout.

“This smells weird for a puppy.”

“Then they’re a weird puppy.”

“Go find your mommy and daddy, puppy.”

The dogs walked down the path Frisk had just came from. Frisk continued on.

Was that just a coincidence? Sans had again noticed the child skipping past something they shouldn’t. He’d learned to remember when that flower reset… but he’d never seen this kid before. There couldn’t be another fiasco. He was still bone-tired from the last one.

“...So when the flowers come up, these little slugs come up to eat them.” Chara was continuing their past monologue. Frisk was continuing their ignorance. “And their trails end up covering the trees, so it looks like they’re covered in glass. I wish you could see it; It is quite-” Chara cut themselves off and huffed. The two children found themselves at the tile puzzle. Well, briefly. Frisk didn’t actually stop walking. As they passed in front of Lesser Dog’s station, Chara heard Papyrus demand help from Sans.

“Everyone likes japes!” Papyrus was the closest he’d ever be to furious.

“What about Undyne?” Sans was looking down the path. This one seemed alright, and he had made a promise… “Doesn’t she hate puzzles?”

“She hates puzzles, but she loves japes!”

“Fair enough. Hey, want to use one of my shortcuts to catch up to that human?”

Papyrus looked down the path, evidently torn. He eventually sighed and said, “Fine, but just this once.” The brothers vanished.

“Oh, c’mon, Frisk, it only wanted attention,” sneered Chara, as a small dog in large armor - Greater Dog - loped off. Frisk gave their usual response as they trod down the path.

The skele-duo found themselves stepping in front of Bridge Rock.

“Man, bro, I’m still impressed you managed to paint the entire cliff face. You  _ rock _ .”

“SANS.”

Papyrus spotted Frisk walking towards them. Excitement welled back up in their bones.

“Human! I, the great Papyrus…” He paused and turned away.

“Uh, bro?” Sans looked over at the taller skeleton.

He sighed and turned back around. “You’re just going to walk straight through this, aren’t you?” Frisk didn’t respond. Papyrus narrowed his eyes and sighed once again. “Fine. Pass through Snowdin, and we’ll have our showdown outside of town. I’m looking forward to capturing you. Nyeh heh heh!” Papyrus quickly ran in the indicated direction.

As the human passed by, Sans caught their attention. “Hey, kid. You don’t have to, but you could maybe humor my brother? He’d like it, and I can’t imagine it’d be much skin off your back.” Frisk remained silent. Sans sighed internally. Were the other humans like this? “Well, whatever. You do you.”

Frisk passed into Snowdin. The cold seemed so much milder inside the confines of the town. Maybe it was smell of cinnamon and greasy food wafting in from the nearby shops. Maybe it was the locals, plastered with smiles. Chara thought that it was probably the tall pines that surrounded it, filtering out the wind. The monsters didn’t pay them much mind. Either they didn’t know what a human was, or they simply didn’t notice. 

The relatively crowded village quickly faded behind the human, along with the warmth. A breeze had picked up, carrying with it snow. Frisk walked up to Papyrus. He turned around and said, “Human. Let me tell you about…” The human was walking towards him. “...certain complex…” They had closed the distance. “...feelings.”

He sighed. “You have ignored my puzzles, thrown away my japes, and completely disregarded my awesome speeches.” Papyrus was staring down at the child. “You must be on some sort of adventurous quest! However, as much as the Great Papyrus loves adventure and questing, I must be the one to stop you.”

Frisk was debating whether they could sneak around and keep walking while the skeleton monologued.

“For you see, if I can capture you, then I can join the Royal Guard! And if I can join the Royal Guard, then people will love me! I’ll be showered in love and praise! People will want to be… my friend? So you see, human, there’s no way I can let you pass!”

Frisk sighed. “I don’t have time for this. Get out of my way.”

“I’m afraid I cannot do that! I, the great Papyrus, challenge you to a duel!”

Frisk felt a tug on their heart as gravity shifted. Bones tore through the snow at the child. They found themselves springing above the threats.

The skeleton clenched his fists in excitement. “Ah! You’re accepting my offer! Finally! I won’t disappoint!”

If Frisk was in it for the challenge, then Papyrus might not have lived up to his promise. The child danced around the patterns that were familiar, and far too easy. They slid between the ivory pillars, smooth as silk. Not a single scratch landed on them.

The armored skeleton’s smile grew. “I’ve never seen skills like that! From anyone other than yours truly, of course,” he said, putting his hand on his chest. He made sure to make his cape wave valiantly in the breeze.

Frisk landed spryly on their feet. Their heart thumped in their chest.

Papyrus raised his eyebrows at the child. “So you think you can outfight the great Papyrus. Not so! See if you can dodge this!”

Frisk felt the hairs on the back of their neck rise. They leaped just in time to avoid a line of bones flying towards them. They slid in between pillars of ivory right as they touched down next them. Dodging in the snow wasn’t quite as easy as polished tile.

What this human lacked in puzzles, they more than made up for in fighting. “Well I’ll be! If I had known you’d be this enthusiastic about our showdown, then I would have just challenged you from the get-go!”

“He is not going to stand down,” Chara voiced.

“He can’t fight forever,” Frisk echoed.

As if he knew, Papyrus then proclaimed, “You should give up now, human! Otherwise I might have to use my special attack!” Their response was to steel themselves. Yet more bones erupted towards the child, hardly garnering a reaction now. They remained untouched, silently challenging him.

“Well then. Prepare yourself! For! My! Special! ATTACK!”

Frisk braced themselves.

And continued bracing themselves.

A dog gnawed on a bone in the silence.

In warmer climes, crickets would probably be chirping.

“Hang on! You mutt! That’s my Special Attack! Give it back!” The dog, alarmed, ran off. Papyrus gave a look of profound frustration. “Nothing is going my way today. No matter! For The Great Papyrus can make even a terrible situation into a good one! I will just use a really cool regular attack.”

The skeleton posed as dramatically as he could. The light exaggerated his every valorous feature. The wind billowed his brilliant cape. “Here’s a perfectly normal attack…”

A cavalcade of bones slid towards the challenger. The ivory pillars would have to be danced over, like a butterfly in… uh…

“Frisk, what are you doing?” Chara interrupted their dramatic announcement to question the other human.

Frisk had stepped to the side. The piano of bones slid harmlessly past the still child. Chara glanced at the attack skirting harmlessly past them.

“That is hardly sporting.” They didn’t respond.

Papyrus puffed, exhausted from the effort. “Well! It’s clear…! You can’t…! Defeat me!”

Chara raised a spiritual eyebrow.

“Yeah! I can see you shaking in your boots!”

Indeed, some snow had lodged itself in Frisk’s socks. They hadn’t bothered to clear it out in the heat of the battle.

“Therefore, I will spare you, human! Accept the merciful Papyrus’ pity!”

The wind died down. Papyrus was facing away from the human. He sighed dramatically. “I can’t even stop someone as weak as you. Undyne is going to be disappointed in me, and I’ll never join the Royal Guard. And… And my friend count will remain stagnant!”

“It doesn’t have to.” Frisk’s voice cut through the air. “I’ll be your friend.”

“Wowie! I have friends!” Papyrus contemplated the sky for a second. “Who knew that all I needed to do was give people awful puzzles and then fight them? Human! You have my permission to pass. And I’ll even give you directions to the Surface! Just walk to the end of the cavern, then cross The Barrier. Us monsters can’t do it. But someone with a powerful soul - like you! - can. That’s why we need to capture a human. So we can break it open with soul power! Oh, by the way. In order to leave, you will have to pass through the King’s castle. The King of All Monsters.” There was a tension in Frisk’s chest. “He is… well, a big fuzzy pushover.” The tension didn’t go away. In fact, it only worsened. “Everybody loves that guy. I’m certain if you just say…” Papyrus kept talking as Frisk diverted their attention elsewhere.

“Chara, what’s wrong?”

“What?! Nothing. There is nothing wrong.”

“I’m not the one who’s anxious about a ‘big fuzzy pushover.’”

“Silence.” Chara’s voice was like a spike through the other child’s stomach. Frisk didn’t press the issue.

Papyrus returned to Snowdin. The human strode forward into Waterfall.


End file.
